If you’re stepping into the world of facilitation — or you’re already in it and wondering why things feel… off — you’re not alone.
Every new or experienced facilitator hits roadblocks. From awkward group silence to sessions that drift off-track, the learning curve is real.
This can happen in a team building event or in a leadership development program. It happens to the newbies and to professional facilitators.
But what if there was a tool that helped you avoid those mistakes — and delivered deeper engagement, faster alignment, and stronger outcomes?
Let’s explore the five most common facilitation mistakes — and how the LEGO Serious Play® method can help you level up, whether you’re leading workshops, coaching leadership teams, or training educators.
Mistake #1: Talking Too Much
When you’re new to facilitation, you might feel like you need to lead from the front. You prepare your slides, your script, your prompts — and then you dominate the room.
But here’s the truth: facilitation isn’t about being the expert in the spotlight. It’s about helping others generate insights.
How the LEGO® Serious Play® method solves it:
This method flips the dynamic.
Participants do the building, the talking, and the meaning-making.
You’re not lecturing — you’re guiding. The LEGO Serious Play method gives every person in the room the same materials and the same voice.
As a professional facilitator, you become a process expert, not a content dictator.
Mistake #2: Letting Dominant Voices Take Over
In almost every group, there’s that person. The one who answers every question first. The one who turns a brainstorm into a monologue.
Dominant voices aren’t inherently bad — but they can silence quieter participants and flatten creativity.
How LEGO® Serious Play® solves it:
Because everyone builds their response in silence first, there’s no chance for interruption. Then, each person shares their model one at a time. It’s structured, democratic, and psychologically safe. Everyone contributes equally — including introverts, new team members, and people who usually hold back.
This is what makes LEGO Serious Play a powerful facilitation tool for inclusive collaboration — and why HR teams and DEI consultants love it.
Mistake #3: Skimming the Surface
Have you ever run a session that seemed fine on the surface… but didn’t lead to action afterward? That’s usually a sign the group didn’t go deep enough. Maybe you talked about values but didn’t uncover tensions. Or you brainstormed ideas without addressing underlying fears.
How LEGO® Serious Play® solves it:
This method taps into the subconscious. The act of building metaphors with your hands bypasses intellectual filters and unlocks real stories, hidden blockers, and fresh insights. What starts as “playing with bricks” becomes a session of serious reflection and breakthrough thinking.
This makes it ideal for coaches, leadership facilitators, and business consultants working in high-stakes environments.
Mistake #4: Lack of Visual Thinking
The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Yet most facilitation sessions still rely on Post-its, bullet points, or verbal-only discussion.
The result? Abstract conversations, lost ideas, and disengagement.
How LEGO® Serious Play® solves it:
Every conversation has a 3D model to anchor it. Teams can literally see each other’s ideas, map out systems, connect relationships, and build shared metaphors. It brings visual thinking, design thinking, and systems thinking into the room — in a format everyone can understand and engage with.
If you want to run strategic planning sessions, innovation sprints, or team alignment workshops, this is your secret weapon.
Mistake #5: Not Having a Signature Process
New facilitators often feel like they’re winging it.
They read blogs, watch videos, piece together frameworks. But without a tested method, they struggle to sell their services, deliver consistent value, or scale their work.
How LEGO® Serious Play® solves it:
Once you become a certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator, you have a proven, repeatable process.
You know how to open a session, guide the group, manage time, adapt to challenges, and close with action steps. Clients trust you more. You feel more confident. You stop being “a general facilitator” and become “the person who delivers breakthrough workshops.”
It’s the difference between guessing — and growing.
Why Now Is the Best Time to Get Certified
Facilitation skills are in demand like never before.
Companies are navigating hybrid teams, culture shifts, innovation challenges, and burnout. They need leaders who can run sessions that are productive, inclusive, and energizing.
🚀 Get Certified in the LEGO Serious Play® Method
We highly recommend that you undertake facilitator training in applying the method.
Our facilitator training program options are all conducted via self-paced or live online training.
As part of your learning journey, you become a member of our online community of users. We have members from across the globe including North America, the UK and Europe.
Each facilitator benefits from our interactive learning journey including online learning modules and deep learning through advanced training in our live online option.
Both our foundational and advanced facilitation training give you the practical skills you need to design and deliver your own custom workshops.
The method is equally suited to life coaches, agile coaches and independent consultants.
Real Facilitators. Real Results.
“I used to struggle to get participants engaged. Now, my sessions are the most talked-about part of the conference.”
– Arjun S., Team Development Facilitator
“Adding LEGO Serious Play to my coaching toolkit doubled my client referrals in under 3 months.”
– Rachel M., Executive Coach
Your Next Step
Facilitation is more than a skill — it’s a business. And the fastest way to grow that business is by mastering a method that works.
✅ One that avoids the rookie mistakes.
✅ One that creates unforgettable sessions.
✅ One that builds confidence, credibility, and conversions.
That’s what the LEGO Serious Play Method can do for you.
🎓 Become a facilitator people remember.
💼 Build a practice that pays.
Time for your own career planning! Gain a skill that you will continue to develop for your entire working life!
